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Web-only Exclusives November 30, 2000 From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead Bad news for the Philippines - and some others From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights? |
OCTOBER 22, 1999 VOL. 25 NO. 42
Bring the Barbells, Granny
Why older people could do with extra weights
By DOMINIC FAULDER
also:
Kiss Off: fighting the Epstein-Barr virus
Fine Brew: more benefits of drinking tea
ALSO IN ASIAWEEK
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Kiss Off
Because infections can be spread through saliva, glandular fever is sometimes called the kissing disease. Physicians have yet to find a drug to curb the Epstein-Barr virus, which can cause swollen tonsils, enlarged neck glands and fever. But Japanese and U.S. researchers reckon they have worked out how the bug multiplies in the body. The discovery may help identify ways to relieve the symptoms and to understand how the virus is involved in malignancy. While fever patients usually recover after a period of rest, the Epstein-Barr virus is also linked to several cancers, including those of the stomach and the lymphatic system. In southern China, where many are infected with the bug, scientists have found high rates of a rare form of cancer of the nose and throat. Writing in the journal Science, researchers suggest the answer lies with a viral protein called LMP1. This mimics a crucial molecule within the B-cells that help the body fight off viral invasions, interfering with our defense mechanism. Although the body usually manages to keep the virus in check, a reactivated bug seems to trigger lymphoma in people with weakened immune systems. Those who have undergone organ transplants are believed to be especially at risk.
Fine Brew
Does a cuppa confer protection against arteriosclerosis or are tea-drinkers just more likely to have healthier lifestyles? Besides anti-cancer properties, tea is now associated with lower cholesterol build-up. A Dutch study which tracked the diet of 3,400 people over two years found that those who drank one to two cups a day were 46% less likely to develop severely blocked arteries. (None of the subjects showed signs of heart and related diseases at the start of the survey.) With four mugs, the risk fell by as much as 69%. While the researchers note that tea-drinkers tend to be leaner and smoke less, they argue that their data still suggest tea protects against severe arteriosclerosis, especially in women. Tea contains high levels of anti-oxidant flavanoids, which are believed to prevent plaque deposits on artery walls.
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